What a great presentation! I have heard of "death doulas" before by being in the metaphysical spaces of the world for a very long time. I first became interested in the value of end of life care when I was with my mother who died in hospice. Interestingly, she had some of the same credentials as you: She was a cancer research nurse for St. Barnabas and Princeton/Plainsboro teaching hospital in NJ. Ironically, she died of cancer in 2016 at 63 years old. I flew in on a Thursday and she died Sunday night. Family members came and went but I never left that room - not to eat, sleep, shower, shit, shave, nothing. I stayed until she passed. I owed it to her to "see her out" as it were. Thank God the room had a shower in it. I have been a spiritual seeker my whole life and have always had an intense interest in death from Santa Muerte to the Bardo Todol. It is the one thing that we are all going to do and we never screw it up...we die perfectly every time! Though everyone dies alone, no one should be alone at their death. It is a duty we all owe to those who go before and probably the greatest service we could ever render another. So...I am a retired 47 year old man. Somewhat independently wealthy and want to get into this kind of service. What shall I do? I missed your training it seems but will check out the rest of your channel and search out others. Please advise. Edit to add: I never see men in this type of work...why is that?
How beautiful that you were able to spend those last few days with your mother to give her that comfort at end of life. The next webinar about End of Life Care and becoming a Certified End of Life Doula is on Thursday, May 16th at 7:00 PM EST. You can register at this link my.demio.com/ref/IgVhS1I24H9yU9LP As for why there aren't more male Death Doulas, I'm not really sure. We could use more men in this role!
I am a retired RN who fought the system from my school days (mid to late 60's) through the years. After having this calling (deep belief) I found out years later my great grandmother had been called a deathing midwife in New York City before 1900. She did pre death care, death vigil, body preparation, helped with the home funerals and cared for the bereaved. A relative told me about this when she found out about my interest in hospice care. As a student I was chided by the school director for visiting an old friend with terminal diagnosis in the hospital every evening after dinner. I said...if I am to be a nurse, I cannot be told I cannot do this. As a practicing RN (visiting nurse), I was told it was not allowed to visit patients in off hours. I said ...well...I guess I will have to quit because I promised this family would not be alone because a fly by night non medical based non profit "Hospice" pulled out because they could not (would not) take MD directions. So, I started a local community Hospice by recruiting the local Oncologist and some movers and shakers in the local community and it was a success with wonderful people who helped fund it ,staff that were the best of the best and volunteers who made our mission possible. In my later years I taught nursing assistants and added my own "stuff" to their education beyond state mandates. They created such a beautiful practice within the nursing homes. Carts with soft lighting,cassettes of soothing music,essential oils, books including all religions spiritual texts, poetry and posters and individual simple charts/cards expressing the patient's wishes. Among themselves made sure the dying patients were watched over 24/7. These young people were incredible. With just a little education and assisted experience, they became comfortable with their role in caring for terminal patients. Having worked in Trauma ER and Intensive care, high risk obstetrics and home/community health, I found during my work years, the need for deathing care essential. We are only born once and we only die once. Loved ones need help and care. The experience should be as gentle and kind as possible for all. Respect for the body,mind and spirit of all involved is essential. The most vulnerable times of life are entrusted to us. The "gaps" in hospice care came about really when corporations took over. I was there when that happened. The "bottom line" reared and roared !
That was a really beautiful presentation. I am an RN who has worked step down oncology, covid step down, ER and done travel nursing. I am very dissatisfied with hospital nursing and deeply called to do hospice due to my experience in oncology covid and my previous partner dying of glioblastoma. However I feel conflicted. Should I do hospice nursing to get more experience or should I become a death doula? I am extremely spiritual and would like to be apart of the spiritual process that death entails, to walk along side another and those they love. This is a hard question to answer. After hearing about the pitfalls of hospice I worry I would get further burned out by our medical system and thus gravitate to being a death doula but I worry because I do not have the hospice experience.
Thank you for all of your beautiful years of nursing care. You do no need to have hospice experience to become a Death Doula! Our program provides you all the training you need. If you're interested in learning more, we're offering a FREE Doulagivers Institute Death Doula Discovery Webinar on Thursday, May 23rd at 7:00 PM EST. It's a 90 minute webinar introducing end of life care and becoming a Death Doula, followed by a live Q&A where you can ask any questions you may have. We'd love to have you join us! Here is the link to register: my.demio.com/ref/MZTUYezbmF3brA3y
A Death Doula is a non-medical practitioner trained to support end of life patients and their loved ones holistically (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) throughout the entire end of life journey. As we face an unprecedented rise in the elderly population coinciding with a fragmented healthcare system that is struggling to meet their needs at this critical time, Death Doulas are playing an intricate role in expanding and enhancing quality end of life care for all people 🙂 If you'd like more information on this burgeoning field of holistic end of life care, you can download our FREE Death Doula Guide here: www.doulagivers.com/death-doula-guide-2/
What a great presentation! I have heard of "death doulas" before by being in the metaphysical spaces of the world for a very long time. I first became interested in the value of end of life care when I was with my mother who died in hospice.
Interestingly, she had some of the same credentials as you: She was a cancer research nurse for St. Barnabas and Princeton/Plainsboro teaching hospital in NJ. Ironically, she died of cancer in 2016 at 63 years old. I flew in on a Thursday and she died Sunday night. Family members came and went but I never left that room - not to eat, sleep, shower, shit, shave, nothing. I stayed until she passed. I owed it to her to "see her out" as it were.
Thank God the room had a shower in it.
I have been a spiritual seeker my whole life and have always had an intense interest in death from Santa Muerte to the Bardo Todol. It is the one thing that we are all going to do and we never screw it up...we die perfectly every time! Though everyone dies alone, no one should be alone at their death. It is a duty we all owe to those who go before and probably the greatest service we could ever render another.
So...I am a retired 47 year old man. Somewhat independently wealthy and want to get into this kind of service.
What shall I do?
I missed your training it seems but will check out the rest of your channel and search out others.
Please advise.
Edit to add: I never see men in this type of work...why is that?
How beautiful that you were able to spend those last few days with your mother to give her that comfort at end of life.
The next webinar about End of Life Care and becoming a Certified End of Life Doula is on Thursday, May 16th at 7:00 PM EST. You can register at this link my.demio.com/ref/IgVhS1I24H9yU9LP
As for why there aren't more male Death Doulas, I'm not really sure. We could use more men in this role!
I am a retired RN who fought the system from my school days (mid to late 60's) through the years. After having this calling (deep belief) I found out years later my great grandmother had been called a deathing midwife in New York City before 1900. She did pre death care, death vigil, body preparation, helped with the home funerals and cared for the bereaved. A relative told me about this when she found out about my interest in hospice care. As a student I was chided by the school director for visiting an old friend with terminal diagnosis in the hospital every evening after dinner. I said...if I am to be a nurse, I cannot be told I cannot do this. As a practicing RN (visiting nurse), I was told it was not allowed to visit patients in off hours. I said ...well...I guess I will have to quit because I promised this family would not be alone because a fly by night non medical based non profit "Hospice" pulled out because they could not (would not) take MD directions. So, I started a local community Hospice by recruiting the local Oncologist and some movers and shakers in the local community and it was a success with wonderful people who helped fund it ,staff that were the best of the best and volunteers who made our mission possible. In my later years I taught nursing assistants and added my own "stuff" to their education beyond state mandates. They created such a beautiful practice within the nursing homes. Carts with soft lighting,cassettes of soothing music,essential oils, books including all religions spiritual texts, poetry and posters and individual simple charts/cards expressing the patient's wishes. Among themselves made sure the dying patients were watched over 24/7. These young people were incredible. With just a little education and assisted experience, they became comfortable with their role in caring for terminal patients. Having worked in Trauma ER and Intensive care, high risk obstetrics and home/community health, I found during my work years, the need for deathing care essential. We are only born once and we only die once. Loved ones need help and care. The experience should be as gentle and kind as possible for all. Respect for the body,mind and spirit of all involved is essential. The most vulnerable times of life are entrusted to us. The "gaps" in hospice care came about really when corporations took over. I was there when that happened. The "bottom line" reared and roared !
BTW: My great grandmother's name was Louisa Birkler, a German immigrant living in NYC.
What an incredible story, thank you for sharing! 💗💗This is exactly the kind of drive and passion we need in end of life care.
That was a really beautiful presentation. I am an RN who has worked step down oncology, covid step down, ER and done travel nursing. I am very dissatisfied with hospital nursing and deeply called to do hospice due to my experience in oncology covid and my previous partner dying of glioblastoma. However I feel conflicted. Should I do hospice nursing to get more experience or should I become a death doula? I am extremely spiritual and would like to be apart of the spiritual process that death entails, to walk along side another and those they love. This is a hard question to answer. After hearing about the pitfalls of hospice I worry I would get further burned out by our medical system and thus gravitate to being a death doula but I worry because I do not have the hospice experience.
Thank you for all of your beautiful years of nursing care.
You do no need to have hospice experience to become a Death Doula! Our program provides you all the training you need. If you're interested in learning more, we're offering a FREE Doulagivers Institute Death Doula Discovery Webinar on Thursday, May 23rd at 7:00 PM EST. It's a 90 minute webinar introducing end of life care and becoming a Death Doula, followed by a live Q&A where you can ask any questions you may have. We'd love to have you join us! Here is the link to register:
my.demio.com/ref/MZTUYezbmF3brA3y
Is it similar to a Kaishakunin?
A Death Doula is a non-medical practitioner trained to support end of life patients and their loved ones holistically (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) throughout the entire end of life journey.
As we face an unprecedented rise in the elderly population coinciding with a fragmented healthcare system that is struggling to meet their needs at this critical time, Death Doulas are playing an intricate role in expanding and enhancing quality end of life care for all people 🙂
If you'd like more information on this burgeoning field of holistic end of life care, you can download our FREE Death Doula Guide here: www.doulagivers.com/death-doula-guide-2/